NEWS RELEASE
News
Bureau . Schofield Hall 201 . Eau Claire, WI 54702
phone: (715) 836-4741
fax: (715) 836-2900
MAILED:
July 10, 2003
EAU CLAIRE - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Chancellor Donald Mash was selected by the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention to serve on the Presidents Leadership Group, a body of higher education presidents and chancellors who have made student substance abuse prevention a priority on their campuses.
Nine new members join the PLG, representing a diverse group of campuses from around the nation. The expansion of the PLG marks the continued commitment by the Higher Education Center to highlight and promote the critical role of presidential leadership in collegiate alcohol and other drug prevention.
With support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the PLG was formed to bring national attention to alcohol and other drug issues on college and university campuses. Representing an array of higher education institutions, officials from 45 campuses in 27 states participate in the effort. The expanded PLG will build on the efforts of its 36 previous members. Officials serve as spokespersons, change agents and models for other presidents. They support statewide and regional alcohol and other drug prevention efforts, adopting leadership roles in existing regional initiatives or taking the lead when statewide efforts have not yet taken hold.
"Presidents are in a unique position to invigorate and influence prevention efforts on their campuses and in their communities," states Higher Education Center Director William DeJong. "We look forward to working with the new members of the PLG as they continue to demonstrate how presidents may best serve this critical role, drawing upon campus resources and enlisting both campus and community constituencies in prevention."
The new PLG members were chosen based on their previous alcohol and other drug prevention efforts as well as their future plans for leadership in this area. The rigorous selection process required applicants to submit personal statements, letters of support from people within their institution and their surrounding community, and their campus's biennial review reports - a federal reporting requirement under the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations.
"At the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, we are engaged in significant substance abuse prevention efforts that have been incorporated into regular practice, while we continue to evaluate these efforts through review and research to improve outcomes," Mash said. "We are continuing to study and implement these efforts and anticipate new efforts using ongoing campus/community coalitions along with direct collaboration and cooperation."
The following college and university leaders have been selected to be part of the PLG:
| Institution | President/Chancellor | State |
| Alvernia College | Laurence W. Mazzeno | PA |
| California State University, Bakersfield | Tomas A. Arciniega | CA |
| Central Washington University | Jerilyn McIntyre | WA |
| Northwest Missouri State University | Dean L. Hubbard | MO |
| Southeast Missouri State University | Kenneth W. Dobbins | MO |
| University of Iowa | David J. Skorton | IA |
| University of Miami | Donna E. Shalala | FL |
| University of Virginia | John T. Casteen III | VA |
| University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Donald J. Mash | WI |
The Higher Education Center formed the PLG in 1997. That year, the six-member PLG published an alcohol prevention report urging college presidents to become more active leaders on this issue on their campuses and in their communities. Copies of the report, Be Vocal, Be Visible, Be Visionary: Recommendations for College and University Presidents on Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, and its companion video can be obtained by visiting the Higher Education Center's Web site.
The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention serves as the national resource center for higher education institutions concerned with reducing alcohol and other drug use. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, with supplemental funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Higher Education Center offers training, technical assistance, publications and other information to assist those who want to take an active part in changing the environment in which students make decisions about alcohol and other drug use. The Higher Education Center is based at Education Development Center Inc., an internationally known nonprofit educational research and development organization in Newton, Ma.
For more information, contact the Higher Education Center at (800) 676-1730 or go to HigherEdCtr@edc.org. The Higher Education Center's Web site provides one-stop shopping for alcohol and other drug prevention in higher education.
The following presidents and chancellors will continue to serve as members of the PLG:
| Institution | President/Chancellor | State |
| Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Jessica Kozloff | PA |
| California State University, Fresno | John Welty | CA |
| California State University System | Charles B. Reed | CA |
| Clarkson College | J. W. Upright | NE |
| Coker College | B. James Dawson | SC |
| College of Santa Fe | Linda Hanson | NM |
| Edgewood College | James Ebben | WI |
| Frederick Community College | Patricia Stanley | MD |
| Illinois College | Axel Steuer | IL |
| Lehigh University | Gregory Farrington | PA |
| Miami-Dade Community College Medical Center Campus | Kathie S. Sigler | FL |
| North Idaho College | Michael Burke | ID |
| Prairie View A & M University | Charles Hines (retired) | TX |
| Raritan Valley Community College | G. Jeremiah Ryan | NJ |
| San Antonio College | Robert E. Zeigler | TX |
| San Diego Community College District | Augustine Gallego | CA |
| San Diego State University | Stephen Weber | CA |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | Randy Moffett | LA |
| SUNY, Potsdam | John Fallon | NY |
| University at Albany, SUNY | Karen Hitchcock | NY |
| University of Bridgeport | Neil Salonen | CT |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | Henry Yang | CA |
| University of Delaware | David Roselle | DE |
| University of Kentucky | Lee Todd | KY |
| University of Michigan | Mary Sue Coleman | MI |
| University of Missouri, Rolla | Gary Thomas | MO |
| University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg | Frank Cassell | PA |
| University of Puget Sound | Susan Pierce (retired) | WA |
| University of Rhode Island | Robert Carothers | RI |
| University of San Diego | Alice Hayes (retired) | CA |
| University of Wyoming | Philip Dubois | WY |
| University System of Maryland | William Kirwan | MD |
| Vanderbilt University | Gordon Gee | TN |
| Weber State University | Paul Thompson (retired) | UT |
| West Virginia University, Parkersburg | Erik Bitterbaum | WV |
| Western Washington University | Karen Morse | WA |
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J.,
is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health
care. It concentrates its grant making in four areas: to assure all Americans
have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to improve the quality
of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy
communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic
harm caused by substance abuse — tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.
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JB
Judy Berthiaume, Director
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu
Updated: July 10, 2003